[8:37 PM, 11/8/2025] Kallol Asif Dru: In a land where revolutions once promised justice, equality, and freedom from corruption, one empire continues to rise above the law—not through elections, not through divine right, but through land deeds, concrete, and money. Welcome to the People’s Republic of Bashundhara—Bangladesh’s most powerful “housing company,” or perhaps its most successful parallel government.The story begins not in parliament, nor in any ministry, but in an elegant corporate boardroom, where a few signatures have allegedly swallowed over 100,000 crore taka worth of land, public property, and rivers. The charges are not whispers; they are as loud as the bulldozers that roll across khals, graves, and wetlands—flattening not only the soil but also the meaning of the law.

The Empire of Concrete
According to multiple reports, including those published by The Daily Star and Bangla Tribune, Bashundhara Group has expanded beyond imagination—and apparently beyond regulation. From government khash land to the historic Bhawal Raj Estate, over 1,000 acres of land are said to have found their way into the group’s “residential vision.”
The numbers are dizzying: eight hundred acres here, two hundred there—and before anyone could check the land records, entire neighborhoods had vanished under the banner of “development.” Rivers turned into roads, wetlands into parking lots, and once-sacred burial grounds into “premium plots with lake view.”
What’s the price of such progress? A few thousand crore, perhaps—conveniently financed by friendly banks, allegedly through creative valuation. Land bought at 20–25 lakh per bigha suddenly appears in documents at 3 crore per katha, unlocking loans worth 42,000 crore taka. If financial alchemy were a sport, Bashundhara would have won Olympic gold.
Barrister Lincoln Emon, an advocate of the Bangladesh Supreme Court and a retired Major of the Bangladesh Army, has sent necessary documents regarding allegations of massive corruption against Bashundhara Group to the Chief Adviser’s Office and other relevant authorities for appropriate action.
He further stated, “As a conscious citizen, I am working towards establishing human rights, the rule of law, and building a corruption-free society. According to Article 21 of the Constitution, it is the duty of every citizen to perform their civic responsibilities and protect national property.”
In response, Mohammad Abu Tayub, Media Adviser of Bashundhara Group, told The People that “the allegation of swallowing over 100,000 crore taka worth of land, public property, and rivers is not true.”

The Invisible Kingdom
“State within a state”—that’s no longer a metaphor. In Bashundhara’s version of governance, rivers don’t flow unless approved, and khash land isn’t public unless marked “sold.”
While ordinary citizens struggle to register a five-decimal plot, this private empire has reportedly managed to occupy over a thousand acres without proper RAJUK authorization. The irony burns brighter than the neon lights of its corporate towers: the nation’s Constitution declares that public land belongs to the people; in practice, it seems the people belong to the developers.
Even the name Bashundhara River View now reads like a cruel joke—because where’s the river? It has already been filled, compacted, and converted into “Block I.”

The Great Moral Mirage
A letter from Barrister M. Sarwar Hossain, a lawyer of the Supreme Court and a retired Army Major, calls for the formation of an independent commission to investigate just how much of Bashundhara’s land is legally owned and how much belongs to the state. His appeal cites Article 21 of the Constitution, reminding that it is the duty of every citizen to safeguard national property.
But such voices are rare—and brave. For decades, corruption didn’t just protect the empire; it nurtured it, feeding it state land and public money. Successive regimes treated Bashundhara not as a corporation, but as a coalition partner. In the shadows of “public-private partnership,” a new kind of sovereignty emerged—corporate sovereignty.

From Dubai to Dhaka: The Great Escape Route
Where does all the money go? Whispers of foreign transfers lead to a familiar itinerary: Dubai, Singapore, Cyprus, London, and Malaysia. A global property portfolio allegedly built with money siphoned from the heart of Bangladesh. The dream of a “Smart Bangladesh” might already be real—only it’s headquartered offshore.

A Revolution Tested
On August 5, 2024, Bangladesh witnessed a new dawn—a revolution against inequality and corruption. Yet even after the fall of dynastic politics, one dynasty remains untouched: the dynasty of real estate.
Barrister Sarwar’s letter warns, “If Bashundhara cannot be brought under the law, the spirit of the revolution will fail.” It’s a chilling truth wrapped in satire: what kind of freedom is it when the state cannot discipline a company? When the flag flies over government buildings by day, and over private skyscrapers by night?

A Modest Proposal
Perhaps the new government should take the satirical route literally—form a Ministry of law and parliamentary affairs  and let Bashundhara run it officially. After all, they already control land, infrastructure, and—some say—the law itself.
But until then, one thing remains clear: a republic cannot survive when its laws end at the gates of a housing project.
As citizens await justice, one might recall the words printed at the entrance of Bashundhara City Mall: “Welcome to a world of luxury.”
For millions of Bangladeshis, that sign could just as well read:
“Welcome to a world beyond the law.”
[9:31 PM, 11/8/2025] Kallol Asif Dru: It’s not about grabbing land. It’s easy to make fake land documents, so someone made an allegation against Bashundhara for snatching people’s land, which is not true.